Ashley Jacobs, 33, made her grand entrance on Southern Charm in season 5, and she’s made quite the impression. Thomas Ravenel, 55, brought her back to Charleston, but it hasn’t been the easiest transition for Ashley. She’s had an ongoing feud with Kathryn Dennis, 25, the mother of Thomas’ two children, and it’s gotten ugly. Before part two of the reunion, check out these key facts about Ashley.
1. Ashley moved to Charleston to be with Thomas. Thomas revealed at the beginning of season 5 that he met Ashley at a bar in California in 2017. She lived in Santa Barbara. Once he made his introduction, that was it. They’ve been together ever since. Ashley moved across the country to live with Thomas in Charleston after a romantic weekend in Savannah. “He said, ‘Why can’t you just try it out here? You can work anywhere you want. What’s the worst that can happen?’” Ashley told Bustle. “It was a big risk. But it was also a big risk not to do it.”
2. She does not get along with Kathryn Dennis. Ashley went off on Thomas’s ex and the mother of his two children — Kensie and Saint — during the cast’s trip to Hilton Head. Ashley claimed she spends more time with the kids than Kathryn and bashed Kathryn’s parenting skills. During the season finale, Ashley insulted Kathryn and called her “nothing but an egg donor.” Thomas even came to his ex’s defense on Twitter after the finale. “I felt horrible for Kathryn during the final scene of the finale,” Thomas tweeted. “I should have explained to Ashley what Kathryn had suffered. She’s had major anxiety and depression issues along with two babies in rapid succession at a young age. The responsibility was mine and I must have it.”
3. She has regrets about how she acted this season. Ashley has been at the center of the drama with Kathryn, and she knows she has to take “accountability” for her behavior on the show. “I know what I’ve done this season and I know what’s coming at me,” Ashley told Bravo. “You take accountability … that’s what I’m nervous about, because they have every right to feel that way … I react too quick … I could be loving and sweet and caring, as a nurse, and then I could be angry, I could be emotional, I feel every feeling, but the one — anger — shows a temper and that’s not one I’m necessarily proud of. And so that’s something I need to work on and the show’s really shown me that.”
4. She’s a registered nurse. She worked in California before getting her nursing license in South Carolina. “I work through an agency,” she told Bravo. “So I go to people’s homes, and I care for their loved ones, the patients, their families are there as well. So I help relieve them of their duties. A lot of them are terminal or have [disabilities], so it’s been great too being in that field because I’m going to homes, I’m helping families.”
5. She struggles with severe anxiety. Ashley opened up in a personal Instagram post in June 2018. “So here goes… In the last 8 months I have struggled with severe anxiety related to stress,” she revealed. “I was completely overwhelmed with moving across the country, leaving my family and friends, being in a new relationship, not having my nursing license, oh and being on a reality TV show! I made these choices and I take complete accountability for them. What I lacked was proper coping mechanisms. I dropped a lot of weight in a matter of months. I was putting too much pressure on myself, not taking care of my health and fitness, along with other external stressors.”
Part two of the Southern Charm reunion will air July 26 at 9 p.m. on Bravo. Ashley will be sitting down with Kathryn, Shep Rose, 37, Cameran Eubanks, 34, Craig Conover, 29, Naomie Olindo, 25, Austen Kroll, 31, Chelsea Meissner, 33, and host Andy Cohen, 50. Thomas will not be in attendance.